The Godfather Part IV ???

So, what are the odds of seeing PART IV???

At the Godfather DVD Collection press conference on June 11, 2001, someone
asked about a possible Godfather Part IV. Francis said simply, "there
will not be a Godfather IV." When asked "absolutely not?" Francis
simply repeated, "there will not be a Godfather IV" to laughter.
I guess that's not a "never"....

HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - The death last Friday
of Mario Puzo, who wrote the novel ``The Godfather,'' raised new questions
about purported plans to film a fourth Godfather movie.

The rumors were triggered June 21 when the
Hollywood Reporter claimed that a fourth installment of the mob franchise
was in preparation and that Leonardo DiCaprio and Andy Garcia were interested
in roles. The report also suggested possible commitments from director
Francis Ford Coppola and Puzo.

This surprised insiders, who knew that Puzo's
condition had weakened, and Coppola told Daily Variety in no uncertain
terms that he had no interest at this time in another sequel. Daily Variety
reported, meanwhile, that DiCaprio had turned his attention to a Howard
Hughes film, among other projects. Under the circumstances, another Godfather
would seem to be a dim possibility.

Puzo, 78, died of heart failure at his Long
Island, NY home.

"...for what it's worth, those stories about
a Godfather IV in the works were totally false."
Francis Ford Coppola, July 3, 1999, from Zoetrope: All-Story

REST IN PEACE TO OUR GODFATHER, MARIO PUZO
(1920-7/2/99). Suddenly, worrying about Leo is unimportant. There is no
official word yet, but it is now extremely unlikely that there will be a Godfather
Part IV. And without Mario, I don't think I want one. Mario's just finished
novel, Omerta, is due out July, 2000. That's good enough for me!

Can Leo refuse 'Godfather' offer?
"Just when I thought that I was out, they pull me back in," Al Pacino's
Michael Corleone says in The Godfather: Part III. That quote might prove
true for Paramount: Francis Ford Coppola and Godfather III star Andy Garcia
are in talks to do a fourth installment. Godfather author Mario Puzo is
negotiating to do a script. Leonardo DiCaprio also is interested but is
not expected to formally negotiate until he sees a script. The Hollywood
Reporter says he might play a young Sonny Corleone (James Caan in earlier
installments). The story line isn't set, but the structure is expected
to be similar to the second Godfather movie. The movie would use flashbacks
and tell two stories, one set in the modern day and one in the past."

Buttonman Dwayne writes:
"...on 97.1 (Los Angeles radio station) today [6/22], Mario Puzo was the
guest... I know, I know, I couldn't believe it either. However, he did
confirm that they are in negotiations and basically everything that we
have heard is true!

Capo Paulie writes:
"This was on Access Hollywood. They talked to FFC's public relations guy
and he said that FFC has no plans to be invloved and that the story is
thin. And DiCaprio's people said that there is nothing official yet."

Coppola, DiCaprio, Garcia plotting fourth
'Godfather'

Discussions are under way between Mario
Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola to bring the fourth installment
of "The Godfather" saga to the screen with actors Andy Garcia and
Leonardo DiCaprio already on board, several sources have confirmed.
Although the story line is not known, sources say that the structure is
in the vein of "Godfather II" in that it will incorporate flashbacks and
tell two different stories set in the past and present, and that Garcia
and DiCaprio would never appear in the same scene. DiCaprio has suggested
that he might play the young Sonny Corleone (portrayed originally by James
Caan), which would then make him Garcia's father, but that is only a possibility.
Puzo and Coppola will decide the ultimate story line. While a deal for
a Puzo script is currently being hammered out, Paramount toppers and the
two actors are said to be crossing their fingers in hopes that all deals
will be consummated. Coppola and the studio have danced around a fourth
installment for the past five years. It is only recently, however, that
headway has been made in bringing the project to life. Garcia, a friend
of both Coppola and DiCaprio, was said to be instrumental in bringing
the components of the project together.

Coppola, who spoke to The Hollywood Reporter
on Friday, was cautious about the fourth installment but acknowledged
that actors' reps have been in talks with Paramount about "The Godfather,
Part IV." Puzo is also actively developing the story. Although several
sources confirmed Coppola's involvement, the filmmaker remained coy. On
Friday, Coppola said that his attention currently is on another project.

Older
News:

The following is taken from The Godfather
Companion (1990):"Why not? Maybe this was
what Coppola was put on earth to do. He is reportedly thinking about it.
It might be a look at the thirties and forties, "what Mario [Puzo] calls
the happy years, when they killed everyone and no one killed them," he
says. If the film were to be set in this period, De Niro could well play
the lead, Vito Corleone redivivus. Rumor has it that a script is already
finished."

Remember, though, that this was written 11
years ago. And too bad that Paramount didn't come up with it for the 25th
Anniversary (1997). De Niro would be perfect to play Vito for those missing
years between Part II/Early, and Part I!

The Morning Call, Sunday, May
11, 1997

Andy Garcia, from Godfather
III, said in a recent interview with interviewer Amy Longsdorf, "There is
a strong interest from both Coppola and Paramount to do another [Godfather]
movie. But how do you get those parties together? As far as I know, there
are discussions on a daily basis. The latest idea was to tell the story of
the family in the 30's and to intercut it with a contemporary story involving
Vincent Mancini. As long as Francis wants to do it, I think he should get
it done. I'm ready to go."

A close friend of MARIO
PUZO WROTE:

"...there was a section
or back story in Puzo's original GF3 script that he suggested could be used
as Godfather IV....Francis has a copy, De Niro has a copy and so does Parmount,
but they've never picked it up!"

ANDY GARCIA on TV (April 25,
1996):

I just happened to
catch Andy Garcia on "Later with Greg Kinnear" and they chatted a little about
GF3, working with Sofia (being romantic in front of her father), and about
the possibility of a GF4. Andy said he's heard rumors, and people ask him
all the time.

ANNE MARIE WROTE:

In an interview with
Andy Garcia in Movieline magazine last fall, he said there may be a G IV in
the works shifting between DeNiro's character in the 30s and Vinnie Corleone
in the 90s with Andy, He said he'd do it in a heartbeat.

ERIC WROTE:

....I'm writing to
inform you that while watching the boob-tube last night, they mentioned something
about beginning production on the Godfather IV. If you so wish, I'll let you
know what I hear about who's going to play whom.

SCOTT WROTE:

The "Source" in which
I read that Cruise & Slater were making GIV was Star Magazine last
summer. I read it in the Fashions section of the magazine. They happened to
show a picture of Cruise and mentioned that he was being fitted for some outfit
for his role in Godfather IV, with Slater, who was also pictured. That is
not to say that they are the only two stars in the film, but they happened
to be in the same picture, and the article mentioned that, gee, they just
happen to be doing a movie together too... Also, Cruise was said to be playing
a "bar-hopping bishop" or something like that. Anyway, I don't have the actual
magazine anymore, but I believe it was a June or July issue [1995].